Patrick and Stephanie have been together for four decades and were really fond of each other. However, these moments only occasionally shined through in our...
Archive for category: Uncategorized
Clarity Creates Change
Frank went out to pick up some groceries, but Meredith didn’t know where he was. When he returned, Meredith expressed her upset feelings about not...
Listen
Lauren and Anthony generally have a great relationship. They love each other deeply but struggle with communication. Their challenge is that communication difficulties are subtle,...
I’m Sorry
Apologies help heal conflict. There are different levels of apologies and each level described below becomes more effective. Level 1: “I’m sorry.” This is the...
Flammable Conversations
Kent realized the grill was low on propane gas, so he brought the propane canister from the shed into the house and put in at...
Raise Expectations
Since Kate and Rick were progressing well in marriage counseling, we talked about what we needed to see to indicate it might be time to...
I’m Not Going to Change
One of my couples began to squabble during a couples counseling session and the husband Matt said, “I’m not going to change.” Since couples counseling...
You Should
“Shoulds” are problematic in relationships. They indicate that a partner should act or not act in a particular way. If a partner doesn’t act accordingly,...
Decelerating
A husband was asking me how his conversations with his wife could decelerate, once they begin to escalate. He described his conversations as driving 100...